The United States is out of the World Cup. It is official: after a 4-1 loss to Belgium at the Seattle Stadium, the USA has been eliminated, bringing an abrupt and disappointing end to a tournament run that the host city had thrown itself behind. What began as a day of soaring hope across Seattle finished in defeat once the final whistle confirmed the score.
The stakes had been high. A win over Belgium would have carried the United States through to their first quarterfinal in more than 20 years, a milestone fans had allowed themselves to dream about as the match approached. Instead, the four-goals-to-one result closed the door, and talk of getting past Belgium and going deeper into the World Cup gave way to the reality of an early exit.
Belgium set the tone from the outset. As one fan watching the game put it, Belgium got out fast, doing exactly what many felt the United States themselves needed to do to advance. That quick start put the Americans on the back foot, and the margin only grew as the match wore on toward its 4-1 conclusion.
Across Seattle, the atmosphere shifted sharply as the result became clear. At packed viewing spots in Pioneer Square and at Victory Hall, where crowds had chanted USA, USA throughout the day, the energy drained into what those on the ground described as a distinctly somber mood. Fans who had spent hours celebrating together were left processing an ending nobody in the American crowd had wanted to see, least of all by a 4-1 scoreline.
Even in defeat, many supporters said they were glad to have been part of the occasion. One fan, new to watching soccer, said they were simply enjoying the atmosphere among the huge crowds. Another admitted to feeling a little sad, but insisted it was awesome to be out among so many people enjoying the World Cup, saying they were not too sour about the way it had ended.
Not everyone in the crowd was downcast. Amid the disappointed American supporters stood a happy Belgian fan, a reminder that Seattle's watch parties had pulled in backers of both sides. The final score closed out a day the city had spent building toward, from the dense crowds of Pioneer Square to the gatherings at Seattle Center, where the World Cup had turned the host city into one long street party right up until the last whistle.